Alabama Department of Corrections Commissioner Kim Thomas has countered those claims time and again, most recently in new interviews with AL.com and NPR station WBHM.

"When people say Alabama has done nothing to remedy the constitutional violations, I think that's very shortsighted, and that's not a thorough review of our history," Thomas said.

When a class action lawsuit was filed in 2002 on behalf of all women incarcerated at Tutwiler prison, corrections officials transferred inmates to private, out-of-state facilities; brought in medical monitors to review prison practices; and complied with other conditions of the settlement agreement. A judge dismissed ADOC from that lawsuit in 2010, demonstrating that "the state took our obligation seriously," Thomas said.

The most recent documentation of problems at Tutwiler prison, and reports of issues at facilities throughout the state, do not take into account the progress made in the past few years, officials have said.

Several television reporters who toured the women's prison last month said it remains "horribly overcrowded" but noted that changes have been made, including newly installed cameras and privacy curtains in the showers.

The issues are not limited to one facility, nor to just the prison system. To evaluate the broader picture, the Council of State Governments Justice Center is set to conduct a large-scale review of Alabama's entire criminal justice system.

Many issues – from overcrowding to recruiting and retaining employees – boil down to money in a system that spends about $42 a day per inmate.

"I've told the Legislature the past two years that just getting by is not good enough," Thomas said. "We've treaded this water as long as we possibly can. We do it cheaper than almost anywhere in the country and that's not something I'm proud of."

Thomas said several crucial factors to continue addressing Alabama's prison problems are falling into place – support from legislators on both sides of the aisle and the public's concern about corrections.

"If you look back over the last 10 or 15 years, people in corrections have been trying to get people's attention and support for decades," he said. "It's satisfying finally to see that people are discussing these problems and the public is concerned about them. Because if you want to incarcerate people there is a cost associated with it."

Launched this year by Alabama Media Group, the lab encourages innovation in digital journalism and audience interaction to guide and inform reporting on complex stories. Partners in the lab include the Center for Investigative Reporting and NPR station WBHM.

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